Hyundai Elantra Maintenance and Repair

Comments

There is no mention of such a cable in the owner's manual (2004 GT 5-door), also no sign of any such cable in the trunk area. Do you have a sedan or hatch? Do you have to remove the inside trim of the trunk to get to the cable?

I've had both the sedan and the hatch. In my sedan ('02) there was the cable with a small tab on it that just peeked out from behind the trim panel near the drivers side trunk hinge. On the hatch ('05) it seems like the owners manual showed to pull down the trim just a bit and the cable was there. I will do a bit of research and see if I can get a diagram.

EDIT:

From the online service manual, they don't talk about the emergency release, but on the sedan it is under the trim by the drivers side trunk hinge. I believe it is in the same location on the hatch. When you pull the trim back, you can see the cable housing coming from the release handle by the seat. That is where the emergency release was connected on mine. Even if it isn't there, it gives you access to the lock/latch and you can release it with your finger.

I have the same issue on my 07. The engine bay squeaks at start up and also when coming to a stop at idle. There are chirping noise every now and then, especially noticeable at low speed. I've had it for a month then took it to the dealership where they found a loose bearing on the water pump and are replacing it under warranty right now. It's a four-hour job so I was told. While there they also told me of a new brake light switch recall they are going to fix for me. So (1) I would talk to your dealer; (2) I'm glad it came with good warranty; (3) My car is just two years old with less than 10k miles. At this rate I am starting to worry what else would break down the road...

My 07 Elantra squeaks when I turn on the A/C. It's not loud (you can't hear it inside the car) but it stops immediately when you turn it off. Is this likely to be a belt issue or a compressor issue? I'm taking the car in for service on Friday and would like to give them some idea what to check for while it's there. I also got the recall notice about the stop lamp switch mentioned by nanotube, so they will replace that then as well.

Most likely belt. A bit of belt dressing (or liquid soap) applied to the belt will tell the tale. I never had problems with my compressors, at least not in the 60K miles I put on the car. Not to say it isn't possible, but a dry (or dirty) belt is more likely.

I have an '09 Elantra. My owner's manual states oil and oil filter change to be done every 6,000km or 6 months, whichever comes first. Yet, I see posts everywhere stating that the same manual in the U.S. directs OCI to be 7,500 miles. That's over 12,000km, double the mileage in Canada. Is this normal? :surprise:

My manual makes no reference to "normal" or "extreme" driving, neither offers different OCI for different driving conditions.

Perhaps the manufacturer (or the marketing department, or the legal department) considers all driving in Canada to be "severe conditions." More likely, they're recommending more stringent service intervals in order to minimize their warranty costs. Does Canada get the same warranty coverage as the US (60k miles bumper to bumper, 100k miles powertrain)?

What baffles the mind is not only that, but how in Niagara Falls Ontario we can have 60K/100K km warranty and 6K oil change intervals, yet in Niagara Falls States side, just a quick walk across the bridge, you have double the oil change interval at 7.5K - DOUBLE - and your warranty now becomes 60K/100K miles - 60% better than ours in kms! It truly baffles the mind how they can get away with this.

Hyundai didn't give the US market the big warranty until they realized how bad their reputation was here. Maybe they didn't need that warranty to sell cars in Canada--IIRC the company had a better reputation and a longer history Up There than it did Down Here.

But yeah, y'all get the short end of the stick on a lot of things. OTOH, you get the Mazda3 2.0 hatchback, the Mercedes-Benz B-Class, the Fit LX.

What has worked best for me over the several decades and many different engines, including two Elanras, is that during extreme summer with lots of traffic, 3K mile intervals. Normal driving, good mix of highway and town, 5K mile intervals. Always use top grade oil (Castrol GTX, Valvoline) and Hyundai filters. 7K mile intervals, in my opinion, should be reserved for highway cruising in moderate temps. In my case, never. I have opened valve covers to change gaskets on engines with 70K miles on them where this has been done, and found no varnish or buildup of any kind. I have never had an oil related failure in an engine, whether 4cyl, v6, or v8. I hope Murphy didn't hear that! :surprise:

Thanks for the replies, stephen and jlflemmons. Yes, just doing a bit of research long before I have to do the first oil change. I don't do a lot of driving. Just very short commutes to and from work, but all highway - ten minute hwy trips each way. I was planning to do more frequent oil changes than recommended, regardless, but then came across the disparity in warranties and service interval directions and found that odd and interesting.

Yes, we're kind of lackadaisical up here in Canada on a lot of issues. We don't complain enough and pay for that complacency in areas like this warranty. Oh well, what can you do? (<--- case in point. LOL)

Next, I'll be debating with self on synthetic versus conventional. I don't want to drop that debate bomb in this thread, so will do a bit of looking around and latch onto an existing thread somewhere (if one does exist).

Off to get rust proofing done today. Factory rust proofing simply doesn't stand up to our salted winter roads in most makes and models, in my experience.

Well, don't feel too bad. I don't know if it is still the same way, but on both my '02 and '05 Elantra the timing belt change interval was 60K miles in 49 states, and 100K miles in California. Same engine, same car. Had something to do with the product liability/warranty laws in California, since the engine was warranted for 100K miles, and the timing belt was not considered a "maintenance" item.

my elantra has a horrible alignment problems i have aligned it every six months since i have gotten it in 2006 and my tires are getting woren to the steel lining. are there any permanent fixes for this problem. other then going to get a alignment every six months :confuse:

No car should need alignment every six months. Have you had the car checked by a dealer or other mechanic to see why it needs the constant alignments? Also, did you buy the car new or used, and if used is there any chance the car was in an accident before you bought it?

What symptoms are causing you to have the car aligned every six months?

I would 1) find out who has been slamming curbs with your car, 2) a better alignment shop, 3) what is wrong in the front suspension, or 4) make sure your tires are properly inflated. Alignment is not a particular issue with this generation of Elantra's, and definitely not to the extreme you are encountering. At 60K miles the alignment on my '05 was dead on. Same for my '02.

I know the first part of this post looks a bit smart-[non-permissible content removed], but seriously, be very suspicious of alignment shops that keep telling you the alignment is off every six months. If a car (most any car) is properly aligned, has no worn/damaged components, has properly inflated tires, and is driven normally, it will stay in alignment. Doesn't matter if it is an Elantra, a pick-up truck, or a Corvette, the alignment doesn't just "move" without external forces (or failure to properly tighten the adjustments after the alignment.

Hi,I just bought a 2009 Elantra GLS but found that when I used the power key to lock the car, the head light didn't blink although all doors can be locked. The manual says it should blink once, so is any problem with the key or the anti-theft system? Thanks!

I would like to get some forum user feedback on the Elantra timing belt replacement. I have three of these cars, one of which is approaching 60,000 miles and due for the belt per Hyundai.

My questions are:

1)Does anyone have experience with this belt breaking before replacement? If so, what was the mileage and age of the belt?

2) Has anyone replaced the belt and examined it for condition? If so, what was the mileage and age when replaced.

I trying to determine a reasonable replacement interval. If it can go from 60 to 75 thousand miles with minimal risk it would add 90,000 miles of usage to the total of the three vehicles in 150,000 of driving for each.

At this point I am leaning toward replacing it at 75,000 miles, at which point I'll examine it and report to the forum.

I think that has something to do with CA state law and what they consider to be part of the powertrain.

I wonder how many of them have failed and been fixed under warranty in CA...

Oh and it's not the same engine, as any fine-print lawyer type will tell you. It's the PZEV variant of the 2.0L which of course means it's different (even though the difference probably amounts to very little realistically).

Yeah, it is pretty much legal-speak with regard to emissions. The CA version is microscopically cleaner, probably handled through the software tuning more than the mechanics themselves.

The local shop foreman for Hyundai showed me the emissions for an Elantra, and pointed out that the car could be run in a closed garage without ever reaching hazardous carbon monoxide levels. Not that he would recommend testing it, though!

Want to try a neat trick? If you have an Elantra with a trip computer, get on smooth level pavement, take the speed up to 50mph, and look at the instant fuel economy. With the tires inflated to 32psi, the '05 model GT would hold at 50MPG! This is what is referred to as the "sweet spot" where aerodynamics, power band, and rolling resistance all come into balance. Push just to 55mph and it will come down several mpg, but watching that little 2.0L do it's thing is amazing.

And that is the '05 Elantra, before the car got improvements for FE in the engine and transmission. I've hit that sweet spot on my '04 GT before, although I get closer to mid-40s on a real drive in real traffic on the freeway. The 2007+ Elantras should do even better. But at 70-75 mph, mid-30s is all I can get.

This is not directly applicable, but I had a strange phone discussion with a service writer at my local Mazda dealer the other day. My son brought his school car (2000 626) in for an oil change (and that's ALL). The car had 105,000 miles. I knew exactly what they'd say, so I told the service writer when I made the appointment that the car is not on the normal service schedule, it had the 60k service including timing belt at 84k miles, and had the 15k service at 99k miles and an oil/filter change at 102k, so all it should need is an oil/filter change. So what happened? My son told me they tried to convince him the car needed a new timing belt. I called the service writer and asked why they recommended a timing belt replacement. Did they inspect the belt? No, she said 105,000 miles is the recommended change interval for that car. I told her that was odd, because I thought the interval was 60k miles and in fact when I negotiated to have the 60k service done (at another dealership) at 84k miles when I bought the car there a few years ago, they included the timing belt replacement. If the belt could go until 105k, why would that dealership change it, on their dime? :confuse:

I have nearly 45k and 5.5 years now on my '04 Elantra. I plan to run it to 60k, which will be about 2.5 more years, before I replace the timing belt. I am sure the dealership will tell me when I bring the car in for its 45k service in a week or two that it needs a timing belt replacement "at five years or 60k, whichever is first." We'll see.

If you're still covered by the 10/100 power train warranty, replacing the timing belt is required to maintain warranty coverage for that portion of the drive train that relates to the belt. If you fail to replace the belt on or about 60K (assuming non-CA) and it breaks before the warranty expires, Hyundai can and likely will deny warranty coverage of the repair. And since a broken belt will take a good chunk of the engine internals with it, that's a very expensive repair.

Now, you don't need to replace it early, and can probably get away with waiting a thousand or two extra miles to get it done, but I'd advise you to have it replaced close to the schedule noted in your car's manual. To ensure you're getting a decent deal, call around to local places as well as the Hyundai dealer; any trained mechanic can do the work.

Also, generally, unless the other belts have been replaced recently, pay the few extra bucks and have them done at the same time. Many places won't charge any extra for the labor (just for the parts) as they're in there already.

After the warranty is up, do whatever you want. Stretch to 90K for replacements, for instance. But it's in your own best interest to maintain warranty coverage.

Thanks for responding with these valid points. Responses to my original post are designed to give me data on it's realistic life span. Specifically, I would like to hear from someone that has had this part fail. I cannot find any of this information so it is assumed at this point that the belt is designed to go significantly past 60K.

I'll probably follow yours and the manual's advice during the warranty period. The feedback will help me for the next time. Thanks again. --Jack

Backy: Thanks for the response. 84K is probably closer to the real life span than 60K. It will be interesting to hear from others, especially those that have had the part fail.

I get the same over-maintenance pitch from the dealers also. That's why I also get the cars serviced instead of having the kids go. Was in the auto repair business very briefly in the 80's and one thing that stuck with me was the high emphasis on selling product and service. --Jack

If you do find some good data points on actual belt longevity, please share with the group. Unfortunately, I'm not sure how good the data would be unless it was broken down by usage conditions - harsh usage like extreme temps or long periods at high revs may be more of a strain than gentle highway cruising.

If you're an "average" driver, you can probably exceed the recommended intervals by 20-30% with no undue harm. That should be within the manufacturer's tolerances/fudge factor. So maybe every 75K v. 60K. I don't know that I would push it to the 100K that the CA warranty provides as that interval is legislated & not necessarily based on manufacturer data.

I take the cars in myself whenever I can. This time I couldn't. But my 20-year-old son is very responsible, and I told him to call me if they tried to sell him anything other than an oil change. And he did.

I agree. That's the reason I am leaning towards 75K as it splits the difference. I will post all related data as it becomes available using "Timing Belt Replacement" as the title for easy search reference.

Did my 09 Elantra's first oil change today - Just a word of warning... the factory applied oil filter must have been put on by the Korean weight lifting champ because it was pretty hard to get off. As a matter of fact, I actually damaged the oil filter (bent/crushed the canister in a couple of spots) getting it off. Natually, when I installed the new one - I hand tightened best I could and then tightened 1/4 turn more *only* by filter wrench - we'll see what next oil filter removal is like...

I just bought an 05' Elantra. I took the car to my mechanic just to have him look over it. He noticed the tranny fluid was really dark and did a flush for me while adding an additive. (i don't remember what kind of additive i just know he had me look over the package to make sure it would work in a hyundai) I started having the check engine light pop on, i took it to the dealer once and they replaced a solonoid, then it came back on after only 20 miles of driving. So i took it back, they can't figure that out but in the mean time, i mentioned that i had had my transmission fluid flushed, the fella at the dealership tells me this " Do NOT put any additives in your transmission. What sort of transmission fluid did he use? Only use Hyundai specific transmission fluid! Have your mechanic flush it out again using hyundai atf. If you leave that additive in there, or use anything but hyundai atf, it will blow out your transmission and void your warranty."

My mechanic works in a shop that specializes in transmissions, he just used whatever transmission fluid they have in the pump...I'm sure i can get the additive flushed out but WHAT is this special hyundai transmission fluid i'm supposed to use? He said i can buy it from a dealer for like 7-8 bucks a qt... WHAT? i've researched a little bit and all i find is an atf plus 7176, that you can't buy anywhere but a hyundai or chrysler dealership. Should i seriously get my tranny flushed again or is this guy BSing me?

He's not BSing you. Hyundais do use a specific transmission fluid, Hyundai (or Diamond) SP III. There are posts around the net on alternatives, but if it were me (and it is me as I have a '04 Elantra with AT) I'd be sure to use Hyundai fluid, because my car still has over 4 years of powertrain warranty left.

I have a 2001 elantra whose mileage is 167K, I currently use 10w30 Castrol oil, I am starting to hear a little noise in the engine area. I live in NYC where the weather gets cold. My question is , has anyone put a heavier oil in their car with this type of minleage? if so what? can I use 20w50 or should I continue with the current oil? overall my car is running good, I change the every 3000 miles and the time is now. Please give me some information ASAP. When I brought the car the manual didn't come witht the car so I can't make refer to it. Much thanks

I do not believe there is a specified service interval for the O2 sensors. They are, however, one of the most often replaced items BY MISTAKE on a car. Many of the OBDII codes referrencing the sensor do not mean the sensor is bad, but that the sensor is correctly identifying that something has gone wrong causing a rich or lean fuel condition.

thanks backy, it was SP III we checked that first, so i think i'm in the clear. My mechanic actually works at a shop that specializes in transmissions, so i trust him. I just don't trust the dudes at the dealership, he said even transmission additives that say hyundai approved might mess with your transmission. i think he was just coming up with reasons to void my warranty